[canygaar]

All, thanks for the advice in previous posts. My parents are coming into town later this week and I’m hoping for insider advise. I’m looking for somewhere near shore (inside 10 miles) that I can put them on some fish. My son and I went out last weekend and didn’t have much luck. We tried the Tex Edwards barge, 3 barges, and the bridge rubble just west of 3 barges.

We’ll likely be bottom fishing, just trying to bend the rods. Should I just get frozen squid and hope for the best? Feel free to PM me with advise. I’m not looking to steel any spots. Just wanting to put the family on fish.

 

[Catchemall]

You should be able to chum up some action. Have you ever tried it?

 

[canygaar]

You should be able to chum up some action. Have you ever tried it?

I haven’t tried that. Would you recommend a chum bag or cut bait? What bait it best? I assume anchoring is preferred. I recently lost an anchor offshore so I’m reluctant to anchor lol

 

[Play'N Hooky Too]

You need live bait and an anchor ball.:yes:

 

[SurfRidr]

If you are going to be bottom fishing, you'll likely need an anchor or a trolling motor with spot-lock. If you use an anchor, I 2nd the anchor ball. I recently set one up for my boat, I bought the ring separate, and bought a mooring bouy like the ball pictured and connected them with a short piece of rope and a shackle. There are YouTube videos on how it works, you cleat off your line, put the ring around your anchor line, and use the boat engine to pull the line through the ring till the anchor comes up to the ball. If you have the proper amount of chain on your anchor line, the weight of the chain hanging on the other side of the ring will hold the anchor up at the ball, while you then bring in the line. that allows you to not be pulling the weight of the anchor out of 70 feet of water.

The spots you mentioned should have at least some fish on them, usually cut squid, live or frozen cigars, live or frozen menhaden, or live shrimp will get something biting.

The chum you could make yourself, or you can buy blocks of frozen chum already ground up at someplace like Outcast - just put the block into a mesh chum bag (which you can get there as well) and hang it off the front cleat of your boat - the chum will disperse as it thaws. Light or tight line some cut bait into your chum line once you catch glimpses of fish moving amongst the chum.

Good luck to you!

 

[SouthernAngler]

Make the run to the Anteres then Avocet (vice versa if you want) and wear them out. Or use your fuel bill to fund a walk on and you wont even have to clean your own fish.

 

[Catchemall]

I haven’t tried that. Would you recommend a chum bag or cut bait? What bait it best? I assume anchoring is preferred. I recently lost an anchor offshore so I’m reluctant to anchor lol

A chum bag with at least 1/2" mesh and frozen chum. Anchor up current of your structure. After your bag has been overboard a few minutes, free line a chunk back into the chum line. Use a small piece of bait that will cover a 2/0 hook and use long, light (20-30 lb.) fluoro leaders. Make sure your bait drifts back completely free on a totally slack line.
Rig your anchor with a breakaway on the forward shackle so it will pull out backwards if it gets hung up.

 

[kingfish501]

I used to make frozen chum using canned jack mackerel and loaves of breadyou can freeze it in block form or in a ball after you mix it.

 

[Play'N Hooky Too]

If you are going to be bottom fishing, you'll likely need an anchor or a trolling motor with spot-lock. If you use an anchor, I 2nd the anchor ball. I recently set one up for my boat, I bought the ring separate, and bought a mooring bouy like the ball pictured and connected them with a short piece of rope and a shackle. There are YouTube videos on how it works, you cleat off your line, put the ring around your anchor line, and use the boat engine to pull the line through the ring till the anchor comes up to the ball. If you have the proper amount of chain on your anchor line, the weight of the chain hanging on the other side of the ring will hold the anchor up at the ball, while you then bring in the line. that allows you to not be pulling the weight of the anchor out of 70 feet of water.

The spots you mentioned should have at least some fish on them, usually cut squid, live or frozen cigars, live or frozen menhaden, or live shrimp will get something biting.

The chum you could make yourself, or you can buy blocks of frozen chum already ground up at someplace like Outcast - just put the block into a mesh chum bag (which you can get there as well) and hang it off the front cleat of your boat - the chum will disperse as it thaws. Light or tight line some cut bait into your chum line once you catch glimpses of fish moving amongst the chum.

Good luck to you!

Just remember to leave the rope tied to one of your forward cleats when retrieving the anchor never to the rear cleats and motor in a slight arc toward the direction of the anchor. In 12 years I can't remember loosing a single anchor using the buoy. If i'm just moving to another spot I'll retrieve the anchor rode into the cockpit for a quick re-deploy at the next spot.

 

[SurfRidr]

Just remember to leave the rope tied to one of your forward cleats when retrieving the anchor never to the rear cleats and motor in a slight arc toward the direction of the anchor. In 12 years I can't remember loosing a single anchor using the buoy. If i'm just moving to another spot I'll retrieve the anchor rode into the cockpit for a quick re-deploy at the next spot.

Aye... the YouTube videos I found demonstrated that as well, but it's a good reminder. You're trying to pull anchor line through the metal ring while keeping the ball at 30-45 degrees behind you all the while. :thumbsup:

 

[canygaar]

All, I took your advice and had a successful weekend with my parents. Anchor ball worked great. The only thing I would do differently is change my chumming technique. I tried cutting chunks of bait (various species of sardines) and chumming that way. I don’t think it worked like it was supposed to. On the next trip, we’re going to do the chum block and bag.

Otherwise,we catch Trigger fish, red snapper, and mangrove snapper.

Thanks for the input!

 

[SurfRidr]

All, I took your advice and had a successful weekend with my parents. Anchor ball worked great. The only thing I would do differently is change my chumming technique. I tried cutting chunks of bait (various species of sardines) and chumming that way. I don’t think it worked like it was supposed to. On the next trip, we’re going to do the chum block and bag.

Otherwise,we catch Trigger fish, red snapper, and mangrove snapper.

Thanks for the input!

Great, thanks for the update. Glad you and your family had fun! :thumbsup: